Mu Tianlang's eyes flickered with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Why did that trash possess such astonishing cultivation resources!
Mu Liuma nodded in deep agreement.
Then, his eyes flashed, and he said to Mu Renmin, "Renmin, you did very well with this transaction. Do you know how many more Spirit Cores Ling Fan has on him? We not only sell him spirit herbs but also provide him with protection. Shouldn't he show his appreciation by giving us another twenty or thirty pieces!"
Mu Renmin felt as if his worldview had been thoroughly exposed by the grandfather and grandson.
"There are no more! You are not allowed to reveal this matter to anyone outside. Do not cause trouble for Young Master Ling! I warn you, absolutely do not offend Young Master Ling. He, our Maplewood City cannot afford to offend!"
Recalling Ling Fan's incredibly powerful physique, even Mu Renmin, a quasi-Giant Spirit Realm expert, still felt a lingering fear.
He wondered to what extent Ling Fan's physical strength would reach when he was at his peak.
Mu Liuma and Mu Tianlang paid no heed to Mu Renmin's warning.
Their minds were filled with Spirit Cores.
Their greedy hearts continued to swell.
In the end, the grandfather and grandson pestered and cajoled until they managed to take away eight Spirit Cores, only then leaving with satisfaction.
...
Four more days passed...
The fifth day.
Mu Renmin, along with Mu Yiyi and many young powerhouses from the Maplewood City Lord's Mansion, had been waiting outside Maplewood City for a long time.
Mu Liuma and Mu Tianlang, along with the powerhouses from their faction, stood on the other side.
The division was stark and clear.
They waited for two to three hours.
By the time the young powerhouses of Maplewood City grew impatient, the people from the Four Symbols Sect finally arrived at a leisurely pace.
These individuals rode imposing and ferocious demonic beasts, their demeanor arrogant, their nostrils pointed skyward, exuding an air of superiority.
Mu Renmin cupped his hands towards the people from the Four Symbols Sect with neither humility nor arrogance.
"Greetings to all esteemed envoys from the Four Symbols Sect."
The powerhouses from the Four Symbols Sect snorted indifferently from their noses, acknowledging his greeting.
Unlike Mu Renmin's attitude,
Mu Liuma, the old fox, approached with a fawning smile, his face full of obsequiousness.
His attitude was extremely subservient.
His ingratiating demeanor made many of the young powerhouses in the City Lord's Mansion feel disdain.
Mu Liuma bowed and scraped as he greeted the powerhouses from the Four Symbols Sect, while also stuffing gifts into their hands.
"Esteemed Lord Jueya, Esteemed Lord Gujiu! Your presence in our Maplewood City truly brings brilliance to our humble abode."
Jueya and Gujiu, the stewards from the Four Symbols Sect, opened the boxes and immediately smiled as they accepted the gifts.
Then, they nodded and smiled at Mu Liuma.
Their attitude was completely different from their treatment of Mu Renmin.
"You are too kind, too kind. Our Sect Master has always been quite satisfied with the way Maplewood City handles its affairs," Jueya said politely.
When his gaze fell upon Mu Renmin, his attitude became noticeably colder, adopting a business-like demeanor. "Where are this year's tribute goods?"
Mu Renmin replied, "They are ready. Esteemed envoys, please follow me."
Upon seeing a long line of carriages laden with spirit herbs, Jueya and Gujiu exchanged glances, unsure of what trickery was afoot.
They meticulously inspected each carriage one by one.
However, the final results left them disappointed.
Not only was the quantity of spirit herbs not short, but it even exceeded the stipulated tribute amount.
Furthermore, the quality of each year's spirit herbs was of the highest grade, far superior to those produced by other cities under the Four Symbols Sect.
No matter how they nitpicked, they could find no fault.
"Hmph! Are they deliberately trying to anger us?"
Jueya and Gujiu grew even more displeased with Mu Renmin.
This city lord doesn't understand the game at all!
You've done your job well.
Impeccably so.
But no matter how well you do it, if you don't win us over, even if you do everything perfectly, we can still find fault, can't we!
You don't even know how to send a gift.
The more you prevent us from finding fault,
The more we insist on finding it!
Jueya and Gujiu conferred, and Jueya immediately put on a stern face, pointing at a cart of spirit herbs. "City Lord Mu, the quality of these spirit herbs is not up to par."
Mu Renmin frowned. "Esteemed envoys, I have personally inspected every cart of spirit herbs. While I dare not claim they are of superior quality, they are absolutely compliant. I would stake my life on it!"
"That's right! Can you even tell? You're saying the quality of our Maplewood City's spirit herbs is poor. Why don't you go to other cities? If their spirit herbs were even half as good as ours, our Maplewood City would cease cultivating spirit herbs from now on!"
"If our spirit herbs are not even compliant, then no city in existence would be compliant!"
"Speak with a clear conscience, do not bully honest people!"
The young powerhouses of Maplewood City retorted indignantly.
Mu Renmin's expression changed drastically.
He thought, "This is bad."
He absolutely could not talk back to the people from the Four Symbols Sect.
Although these two stewards from the Four Symbols Sect were wielding their authority with undue zeal,
It was still not something their Maplewood City could contend with.
But before he could even open his mouth to reprimand them, it was already too late.
The grandfather and grandson, Mu Liuma and Mu Tianlang, watched from the side with cold smiles, enjoying the show.
As expected.
The expressions of Jueya and Gujiu instantly turned unpleasant.
Jueya sneered, "Are you questioning this envoy! If I say your spirit herbs have problems, then they have problems. If I say you are non-compliant, then you are non-compliant. What, you are not convinced?"
"Who was it that just said I was speaking without a clear conscience? Step forward! To dare question this envoy is to question our Four Symbols Sect. Do you think your life is too long!"
Mu Renmin quickly apologized, "Esteemed envoys, please calm your anger. These youngsters speak without discretion and are unrestrained in their words. I implore you to be magnanimous and overlook their transgressions, do not hold it against them."
"The esteemed envoys say our spirit herbs are of substandard quality... then so be it! We accept it!"
Uttering these words seemed to drain all of Mu Renmin's strength.
Jueya sneered, "It's best that you admit it!"
"Your spirit herbs are of poor quality, so they can only be calculated at 70%. The remainder, you must make up for it now!"
Mu Renmin was stunned by this statement, his face filled with horror. "Esteemed Envoy Jueya, you cannot be so ruthless! You've cut off thirty percent of the spirit herbs with a single statement. Where are we supposed to find this thirty percent now?"
"This is not a small amount! This is one hundred and fifty carts, totaling one point five million ten-year-old spirit herbs, thirty carts totaling three hundred thousand fifty-year-old spirit herbs, and three carts totaling thirty thousand hundred-year-old spirit herbs..."
"More than ninety percent of Maplewood City's annual harvest is surrendered to your Four Symbols Sect. You are now asking me to make up an additional thirty percent, aren't you trying to drive Maplewood City to its death!!!"